A Smarter Way to Treat Peri-Implantitis

Peri-implantitis is an infectious inflammation of the soft and hard tissues around a dental implant, and the long-term risks are significant.

It has been estimated that 69 percent of Americans age 35 to 44 have at least one missing tooth, and one in four over the age of 74 have lost all their natural teeth according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. It makes sense that implant placement cases are on the rise.

Approximately 3 million Americans have implants and that number is growing by 500,000 a year in the US. Unfortunately, that means, the occurrence of peri-implant disease is also on the rise. Peri-implant disease is an inflammatory condition that can lead to implant loss. It affects as many as 43% of implants placed according to a recent study published in the Journal of Periodontology. Peri-implant mucositis is the early stage of the disease, an peri-implantitis is the advanced stage of the disease.

A patient with peri-implantitis has spent much time in the dental chair and is usually not very pleased with the dentist. Dental lasers are a proactive, effective way to manage the condition and they’re minimally invasive.

The REPAIR Implant Protocol is a new treatment capability of the WaterLase iPlus 2.0 and assists in the management of peri-implantitis. A special Radial Firing Tip (RFT) is part of the WaterLase. It emits a gentle corona of laser energy that removes necrotic tissue, infection, anaerobes and other undesirables from the implant surface and surrounding periodontal structures. The RFT safely debrides implant threads and ablates granulated tissue.

The new REPAIR Implant Protocol enables dentists and specialists to use WaterLase iPlus 2.0 to assist in the management of peri-implantitis. Excellent clinical outcomes retain patients, and keeps them happy.